Seat suspension for collapsible go-carts.



APPLICATION FILED IAN. 8,1915.

Patened Oct. 10, 1916.

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GEORGE L. WISER, OF ELKHART, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO SIIDWAY MERCAN TILE COM- PANY, OF ELKI-IART, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OE INDIANA.`

SEAT SUSPENSION FOR COLLAPSIBLEv GO-CARTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 10, 1916.

Application filed January 8, 1915. Serial No. 1,141.

provements in the means for yieldingly sup-- porting the weight of the child in such carts. The construction of a collapsible gocart presents peculiar obstacles to the employment of adequate springs because of the folding of all the component elements of the cart, and because of the necessarily compact arrangement of the several parts. The whole structure of a collapsible go-cart when unfolded and in condition for use, tends toward a rigidity not encountered in old style high perambulators and, on the other hand, there is greater need for the best of springs beneath the seat of a collapsible go-cart because of its inherent rigidity.4

The object of my invention is to provide a spring suspension which shall take up freely and gently all road shocks, and relieve the child therefrom; and a further object of my invention is to provide a seat suspension which may be readily adjusted to suit the weights of different children, this last being a much desired commercial advantage, inasmuch as thereby a single gocart is made to suit the requirements of children of dilferent ages and weights and also suit different road or path conditions encountered in the use of the vehicle.

With these objects in view, my invention consists in a folding or collapsible go-cart of the construction hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims. f

The invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a go-cart embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof; Fig. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal section of the main frame and seat of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical section on the line 1X-4X of Fig. 3; and Fig. 5 is a still further and enlarged detail cross section on the line 5*-5X of Fig. 3, showing the ad- ]ustable intermediate spring fastening or fulcrum.

The members of a collapsible go-cart of the sort shown in the drawings, are the main frame A; the side frames B, B; the wheels, C, Joined to respective side frames, B, by stud axles; the pusher, I), usually pivoted to the rear end of the frame A; the seat, E; the foot well, F; the side arms, Gr; and a folding or operating mechanism, which Joins the pusher, the main frame and side frames, of which mechanism the links, I-I, are the principal members. rlhe connections between the links, II, and the side frames are not shown herein, as they do not directly enter into the present invention. It is sutlicient to state that when the pusher, D, is folded forwardly and downwardly upon the main frame the arms, G, and the members, II, are also folded; and the other connections (not shown) cause the side frames to swing upon their pivots, b', and fold beneath the main frame.

In the construction embodying my invention the main frame A, is preferably substantially rectangular and both its forward and rear ends are preferably slightly upturned, as well shown in` Figs. 1 and 3. The side members, (L, a, and the front cross bar, a', are preferably integral, the corners a being short bends or curves. These bends aiord substantial bearings for corner stampings, 1, which conform to the tops thereof and are provided with inwardly and downwardly inclined webs, 1. The stampings are rigidly secured to the frame by rivets, 1.v These stampings are special fastenings for the seat springs, about to be described, and incidentally serve as supports for the forward end of the foot well, F.

I use two springs for supporting the seat, E, and the rear end of the foot well. These are flat-bar steel springs of identical con-V struction. Each comprises a flat bar spring, 2, of substantially the same length as the main frame, A, together with a supplementary flat-bar spring or leaf, 8.

The forwardend of the spring, 2, is curved upwardly and is secured to the web of the stamping, 1, by means of a rivet, 4. The rear end of the spring is formed into an eye or loop, 2, and engages the pintle, 5, of a suitable shackle,

link or swinging shackle, 6, on the rear cross bar, A3 of the frame, A. Obviously, the swinging shackle, 6, permits the downward flexing of the spring,

The seat, E, comprises a. board or plate, c', having a padded top, e. To the bottom of the seat I attach two cross bars, 7 and 8. The bar 7 has downwardly turned ends, 7, terminating in feet, 7, which feet rest upon the tops of the main springs, 2, 2, preferably at a point forward of the middle thereof. Obviously the springs afford a support for the forward edge of the seat, E.

The supplementary springs, 3, are attached to respective main springs, 2, by means of the rivets, 9, which secure the feet or brackets, 7, thereto. A bar, 8, which is the rear support for the seat, E, has downwardly turned ends, S, at the inner sides of the springs, 2. These parts, S, terminate in outwardly turned feet, 8, which are secured to the rear ends of respective supplementary springs, 3, by means of rivets, 10. Thus the rear end of the seat is directly supported by the supplementary springs, 3.

It will be clear that the single rivet, 9, would not alone provide a working connection between the springs, 3, and the springs, 2; indeed, the rivets, 9, as will presently appear, are chiefly used to prevent relatively longitudinal movement between the springs 2 and 8. For the purpose of connecting the springs. 2 and 3, in such manner that they will act together, I employ fastenings, 11, which are positioned between the ends of the springs, 3. Such intermediate fastenings might well be simple rivets, (not shown). lVhen thus intermediately connected, the members, 3, form spring connections between the rear edge of the seat (bracket, 8) and the main springs, 2. The vertical movement of the seat is thus communicated to the main springs, 2, through the medium of the supplementary springs, 3, and it willbe seen that the springs, 2, are the main supports for both the forward and rear ends of the seat, E.

By shifting the intermediate fastening, 11, the reinforcement of the main spring, 2, by the member, 3, may be altered or varied and likewise the free end of the supplementary spring, 3, may be lengthened or shortened. If the free end is shortened, the reinforcement of the main spring is extended, and it is capable of sustaining a greater weight upon the seat, E. On the other hand, if the free portion of the spring, 3, is lengthened by shifting the intermediate connection, 11, forward, .then the main spring is rendered more flexible and this, added to the greater flexibility of the supplementary spring, causes the seat spring to respond freely to everv slight shock upon the running gear of the go-cart.

In order that the intermediate connection may be thus shifted at any time for the purpose of adjusting the spring strength for children of different weights, I prefer to form the intermediate connection in the manner shown in Fig. 5. That is, I employ a U-shaped clip, 11, the sides of which closely embrace the members, 2 and 8. The ends of the clip extend beyond the edges of the spring members and are joined by a short bolt, 112, having a wing nut, 113, by which the clip may be tightened and fixed upon the spring. rfhe device is such that it may be worked by any person, and by its use the springs are made readily adjustable.

It should be noted that the rear end of the seat, E, overlies the rear end parts of the main fiat springs, 2, and that the supplementary springs afford a degree of flexibility which could not be attained by mounting the rear end of the seat upon the tops of the springs, 2. The latter arrangement would also defeat the advantages of the adjustable springs, here explained.

The described spring suspension for the seat, E, is particularly desirable in cases where the seat-back, E, is wholly supported from the rear edge of the seat, E. The seat-back is adjustable to several positions; and when a child reclines thereon its weight is chiefly above the rear ends of the main springs, 2. At such times the spring' fulcrums or intermediate connections, 11, should be shifted rearwardly, to relatively strengthen the sustaining members and compensate for the altered position of the child upon the seat and seat-back.

rIhe arms, G, and the members, H, are usually arranged on the inner sides of the members, A, to which said members are pivoted, at la (see Fig. 2). One advantage of my novel construction lies in the fact that the seat sustaining springs have ample room between the sides a, a, and therefore may be inwardly offset therefrom and thus afford ample space for the folding members,

The foot well, F, usually a flexible structure, has its rear edge, f, attached to the forward edge of the seat, E. The front end of the foot well is connected to the crossbar of the U-shaped lifting bail, f', which is pivoted on the bracket, 7. As shown in Fig. 3, small clips, f2, are attached to the stampings, 1, by the rivets, 4. Elevating links, f3, join these clips, f2, with the bail, f. In this manner the stampings, 1, are made to serve as the supports for the front end of the adjustable foot well.

As various modifications of my invention will readily suggest themselves to one skilled in the art, I do not limit or confine the invention to the specific comstructions herein shown and described.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In a folding or collapsible go-cart, a substantially rectangular main or body frame, in combination with substantially straight main spring-bars extending between and supported by the ends of said main frame and each shackled to one said end, a seat having its forward end supported by said spring-bars, supplementary bar springs or leaves having their forward ends fastened to the bottoms of respective main vspring-bars, and connections whereby the free ends of said supplementary spring-bars support the rear end of said seat.

2. In a folding or collapsible go-cart, a substantially rectangular main or body frame, in combination with substantially straight main spring-bars extending etween and supported by the ends of said main frame and each shackled to one said end, a seat having its forward end supported by said spring-bars, supplementary bar springs or leaves having their forward ends fastened to the bottoms of respective main spring-bars, connections whereby the free ends of said supplementary spring-bars support the rear end of said seat, and intermediate fastenings securing each supplementary spring to its main spring.

3. In a folding or collapsible go-cart, a substantially rectangular main or body frame, in combination with substantially straight main spring-bars extending between and supported by the ends of said main frame and each shackled to one said end, a seat having its forward end supported by said spring bars, supplementary bar springs or leaves having their forward ends fastened to the bottoms of respective main springbars, connections whereby the free ends of said supplementary spring bars support the rear end of said seat, intermediate fastenings securing each supplementary spring to its main spring, and said fastenings being longitudinally adjustable to vary the strength of said springs.

4. In a folding or collapsible go-cart, a substantially rectangular main or body frame, in combination with substantially straight main spring-bars extending between and suppo-rted by the ends of said main frame and each movably shackled to one said end, a seat having its forward end supported by said spring-bars, supplementary bar springs or leaves having their forward ends fastened to respective main spring-bars, substantially at the points of seat attachment thereto, connections whereby the free ends of said supplementary copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each,

spring bars support the rear end of said seat, and spring fulcrums or intermediate connections which are longitudinally adjustable upon respective springs to vary Vthe strength thereof.

5. In a folding or collapsible go-cart, a substantially rectangular frame having an upturned forward end, in combination with webbed pieces attached to said forward end, spring shackles at the opposite end of the frame, flat bar main springs having upturned forward ends fastened to the webs of said pieces, the rear ends of said springs being held by respective shackles, a seat resting on said main springs, supplementary flat bar springs on the bottoms of respective main springs, and a seat bracket whereby the rear end of the seat is supported by the free ends of said supplementary springs.

6. In a folding or collapsible go-cart, a substantially rectangular frame having an upturned forward end, in combination with webbed pieces attached to said forward end, spring shackles at the opposite end of the frame, flat bar main springs having upturned forward ends fastened to the webs of said pieces, the rear ends of said springs being held by respective shackles, a seat resting on said main springs, supplementary flat bar springs on the bottoms of respective main springs, a seat bracket whereby the rear end of the seat is supported by the free ends of said supplementary springs, and screw clips forming longitudinally adjustable intermediate connections for respective main and supplementary springs.

7. In a folding collapsible go-cart, a substantially rectangular frame having an upturned forward end, in combination with spring shackles at the rear end of the frame, flat bar main springs having upturned forward ends fastened to the forward end of the main frame, the rear ends of said springs being held by said shackles, a seat resting on said main springs, supplementary flat bar springs having their forward ends fixed to the bottoms of respective main springs, substantially at the point of seat support thereon, a seat bracket whereby the rear end of the seat is supported by the free ends of said supplementary springs, and an adjustable fulcrum clip on each supplementary spring.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, this 1st day of December, 1914, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE L. WISER.

Witnesses z F. D. FIELDS, I-I. WERK.

by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

